At the End of the Journey Chapter 1
by Pirate Arcadia
Summary: This story takes place during WWII, sometime around the year 1944. It is a continuation of the intermezzo to the anime Arcadia of My Youth. The setting is Germany, the Rhine River. Across the river lies Switzerland. We follow Phantom F. Harlock, Jr., son
1. Chapter 1

"Farewell," he said solemnly to his new friend with the cracked left lense; his new friend who came from Japan and was no taller than the bustling river they had just crossed.

Only hours before they had met, and now they were to be parted, perhaps forever. Turning away from Tochiro and towards the banks of his homeland, the water of the Rhine felt like small needles pricking his legs. He caught a glimpse of his reflection rippling on the water: a tall, well built man, aged about 30, with auburn hair and one scar running from the bridge of his nose down to the left of his cheek. He turned away from the neutral safety of Switzerland where his new friend sat, tentatively, and took a few steps forward.

"Harlock! What are you going to do now?" his friend cried out desperately, not wanting to be parted so soon. Harlock stopped and turned around smoothly, grinning. "I'm not the type to run off like a coward. A pirate must always be ready to answer for what he has done. Tochiro, never give up your dream, and make the most of your life-" three quick shots were fired at Harlock from behind, two which grazed the water, one which struck his right shoulder like a lance. He winced momentarily, and quickly applied his gloved left hand to the now dripping wound.

"Harlock!"

Even with the pain, Harlock stood tall and strong. "I'm glad I could've met you at the end of this stupid war...I wish we could've met...in different times." Harlock's words drifted off as two more shots were fired, this time, missing him. He turned back to his plane which lay like a broken bird upon the bank, the swirled yellow and black nose like a beak dipping in the water.

"He's down in the river! We'll go around to the right!"

Harlock glanced up the river bank to see four French Resistance Soldiers approaching on the right. He walked towards the left, stumbling with the pain of his wound. As he walked on, Tochiro called out to him once more.

"Harlock, stay alive! Harlock, I'll never forget you: my whole family will never forget you! Our friendship will never, never die!"

Harlock kept on, grinning to himself. But he had no time to reminisce on the memories he had just made: his life was on the line!


	2. Chapter 2

Through gritted teeth and with excruciating pain, Harlock made his way toward the plane, just missing several shots aimed at his life. With the soldiers quickly advancing, he had little time to devise an extravagant strategy. But this was a war! Survival was based on quick response to difficult situations! As he approached the left side of the plane, he picked up the pace of his steps and slopped out of the river. Quickly, he dashed out of the soldier's sight around the nose of the plane, and using the plane as a temporary barrier, he took a brief moment to collect himself and to pull the bullet from his shoulder. He winced as he ripped it from his flesh, a scarlet liquid covering his hand and soaking through his jacket.

With his back against the plane, and blood still trickling from his wound, he withdrew his pistol and waited until he could hear his enemy's footsteps getting louder and louder. And then, they stopped.

"Surrender! You have no chance to escape!" said a gruff voice in heavily accented French; Harlock estimated that they were approximately 2 yards from him. A moment of silence that seemed like an eternity passed. Then, with much stealth and accuracy, Harlock peered just from below the nose of the plane, and fired 4 direct shots to each of the soldiers, bringing them down efficiently; they slumped to the ground one after the other and in the order he had fired the shots.

Harlock slunk back out of view and waited for any further soldiers. When none came after some time, he breathed a sigh of relief mixed with agony. He put his pistol back in its hostler and sank to the ground, applying pressure to his shoulder once again with his opposite hand. Realizing that little was coming of his efforts to relieve the pain with his hand, he removed the scarf from around his neck, and with much difficultly, wrapped it around his arm where the gaping wound still bled. Harlock desperately wished to flush his wound with the water from the Rhine, but if he left the shelter of his plane at exactly the wrong moment, any stray soldier could end his life with much ease.

And so he sat there, waiting for an unfortunate event to cause more difficulty to his situation.

Hour after hour passed.

After relieving himself, he felt the prickling pains of hunger increase with the dying hours of the day. If he could just wait for the security of the black and cloaking night, he could much more easily seek the comfort that the waters of the Rhine provided and rummage about the fallen soldiers for any necessary items...


	3. Chapter 3

Harlock woke lethargically to the dull murmur of the crisp river and the gentle cooing of birds; the earth was alive and jovial. Rays of sunlight flickered like glitter upon the river, and warmed the fresh grass. Yet, Harlock thought, there were those who wished to disrupt the Earth's natural beauty.

Feeling his pistol protruding into his side, Harlock adjusted his already uncomfortable position leaning against his messerschmitt plane. Tilting his head back towards the sky, he watched the downy clouds roll by. "Stupid war," he remarked as he watched a robin glide gently towards the water.

The past days previous events were like moving pictures running through Harlock's mind, and thoughts continued to plague him. What had become of Tochiro? Had he made it to safety? And what was to become of himself? Would he continue to fight, or would he too seek refuge? But wouldn't that be cowardly? He thought of what the ridicule of his fellow men would be: he'd managed to crash another plane!

If he crossed the river into freedom, he would be abandoning his duties, and in Harlock's mind, giving up. He'd become a wanted man by the Nazi's, and probably be despised by others who didn't understand his situation and choice. Oh but how he longed to leave this fighting and to join his mother in health in happiness!

His father had disappeared at the end of WWI: all he and his mother had been left of him were manuscripts for a novel he had written. Harlock had the novel published, a novel which was revered by many men, and treasured it as if it were a gift of the gods. He devoured each page each time he read it, a number which continued to grow. That novel had become the guidelines to which he led his life. Each word seemed a life lesson, and since he had no living father to guide him, he used the novel as a role model.

Some time after the end of WWI, Harlock's mother had fallen ill, and paying rent and medicine (not to mention food) became increasingly difficult. Harlock had been attending school, but a new leader promised young men benefits for becoming a soldier, promises Harlock had to believe in to save his mother's life.

With much reluctance and a tear in the eye, Harlock's mother bid him farewell on a morning much like the one Harlock was absorbing now. He left with hopes for the future, and a novel tucked amongst his belongings. He enlisted, and from that moment forward, his life was to never be the same. The text of his father's novel not only once more guided him, but he now realized and understood all of what his father had written and endured as a German pilot during WWI.

In honor of his father, Harlock insisted on becoming a pilot, and refused to anything but. He quickly become recognized as a magnificent flyer, one with impeccable control, and a very poor lander, always managing to crash his plane somehow...

As Harlock snapped back into the here and now, he struggled to come up with a decision as to what to do next. At least, he was until he heard a noise only a human could make...


End file.
